Transceiver module having a dual segment lead frame connector

ABSTRACT

An optical transceiver module having a plurality of optical subassemblies and a printed circuit board is disclosed. The transceiver module includes lead frame connectors for connecting the optical subassemblies to the printed circuit board. The lead frame connectors include a stamped and bent conductive lead structure that is encased in an insert injection molded plastic casing. The plastic casing provides electrical insulation for the conductors in the lead frame as well as mechanical support for the finished component. The lead frame connectors connect to the leads associated with the optical subassemblies and are surface mounted onto the printed circuit board to establish connectivity between the optical subassembly and the printed circuit board. The lead frame assemblies are generally more reliable and less expensive than using flexible printed circuit board structures to establish electrical connectivity between optical subassemblies and transceiver printed circuit boards.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/236,123, filed Sep. 26, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,144,259 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/066,079, filed Feb. 25, 2005, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/809,992, filed Mar. 26, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,097,468 which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/548,846, filed Feb. 27, 2004. Each of the foregoing patent applications is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. The Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to optical transceiver modules. More specifically, the present invention relates to lead frame connectors used to connect an optical subassembly to a printed circuit board in an optical transceiver module.

2. Background and Relevant Art

Optical transceivers are used to transmit and receive optical signals from an optical network and to enable electrical network components to interface with and communicate over optical networks. Many optical transceivers are modular and are designed in accordance with industry standards that define mechanical aspects of the transceivers, form factors, optical and electrical requirements, and other characteristics and requirements of the transceivers. For example the Small Form-Factor Module Multi-Source Agreement (SFF MSA), the Small Form-Factor Pluggable Module Multi-Source Agreement (SFP MSA) and the 10 Gigabit Small Form Factor Pluggable Module Multi-Source Agreement (XFP MSA) Revision 3.1 define such standards and are incorporated herein by reference.

The basic optical components of conventional transceivers include a transmitter optical subassembly (TOSA) and a receiver optical subassembly (ROSA). The TOSA receives electrical signals from a host device via circuitry of the transceiver module and generates a corresponding optical signal that is then transmitted to a remote node in an optical network. Conversely, the ROSA receives an incoming optical signal and outputs a corresponding electrical signal that can then be used or processed by the host device.

The electrical connections between the optical subassemblies and a printed circuit board (PCB) in the transceiver module have various electrical and mechanical requirements. One of the most common electrical connection components used in conventional optical transceiver modules is a flexible printed circuit board, or “flex circuit,” that connects the rigid printed circuit board of the module to leads associated with the TOSA or ROSA. Flex circuits have several advantages, including good electrical performance and radio frequency response and the ability to take up tolerances in the modules and to withstand stresses that arise during manufacture and operation of the modules. Examples of flex circuits used in optical transceiver modules are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/409,837, filed Apr. 9, 2003, which is incorporated herein by reference. The foregoing patent application also illustrates other components of optical transceiver modules, such as TOSAs and ROSAs, and includes other general information regarding optical transceiver modules that is useful as background material for the invention described herein.

While flex circuits have been widely used in recent years in optical transceiver modules, flex circuits represent a significant portion of the costs and labor required to manufacture transceiver modules. As the price of transceiver modules drops, the costs associated with flex circuits continue to represent an increasing proportion of the overall costs of transceiver modules.

Other approaches to connecting optical subassemblies to printed circuit boards have been introduced in recent years. For example, the leads protruding from TOSAs and ROSAs can be bent into a configuration that enables the leads to be directly soldered or otherwise connected to the printed circuit board. This technique is often less expensive than the use of flex circuits, but can lead to unfavorable RF response due to the inability to carefully control impedances. In addition, bending leads of TOSAs and ROSAs introduces reliability risks due to the likelihood of damaging glass or other fragile portions of header assemblies in TOSAs and ROSAs that enclose the lasers and photodetectors, respectively.

Because of the possibility of damaging the TOSAs and ROSAs and poor electrical performance, bending leads to enable the optical subassemblies to be directly connected to the printed circuit board is not suitable for many transceiver modules. This approach is particularly unsuitable for relatively high-speed transceiver modules, in which the RF response of the conductors is more important.

Furthermore, there exists in the industry an ever-present goal to reduce the overall size of components included in an optical transceiver module. Concurrent with this goal is the need to configure optical transceiver modules that are capable of operating in accordance with recent optical transmission standards and their corresponding optical transmission rates. For instance, transceiver standards are now being developed and utilized to enable optical transceiver modules to transmit and receive optical data at rates of 4, 8, and 10 GBits/second. Any proposed solutions for connecting optical subassemblies in an optical transceiver module or other optical device should satisfy requirements in these areas.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to lead frame connectors that are used to electrically and mechanically connect optical subassemblies to printed circuit boards in optical transceiver modules. The lead frame connectors enable optical subassemblies to be connected to the printed circuit board in optical transceiver modules in a reliable and inexpensive manner. The use of such lead frame connectors eliminates the need for flexible printed circuit boards that have been used in conventional transceiver modules.

According to one embodiment, the lead frame connector includes a stamped and bent conductive lead structure that is encased within an insert injection molded plastic casing. The plastic casing provides electrical insulation for the conductors in the lead frame as well as mechanical support for the finished component. The lead frame connectors connect to the leads associated with the optical subassemblies. The lead frame connectors also can be surface mounted onto the printed circuit board to establish connectivity between the optical subassembly and the printed circuit board. The lead frame connectors can be adapted for use with transmitter optical subassemblies and receiver optical subassemblies, and can have any necessary number of leads.

An alternate embodiment of the present invention includes a stamped and bent conductive lead structure that can be encased within two casings. The conductive lead structure and two casings can be coplanar during the molding process. This makes the creation of the tooling needed to produce the lead frame connectors much easier than prior designs. In one embodiment, the casings can be insert injection molded plastic casings. The casings provide electrical insulation for the conductors in the lead frame as well as mechanical support for the finished component. The conductive lead structure of the lead frame connector connects to the leads associated with the optical sub-assemblies. In this embodiment, the two casings allow the conductive leads to be bent after the molding process. This facilitates easy surface mounting onto the printed circuit board to establish connectivity between the optical sub-assembly and the printed circuit board. The lead frame connectors can be adapted for use with transmitter optical sub-assemblies and receiver optical sub-assemblies, and can have any necessary number of leads.

One advantage of the lead frame connectors is that they can be designed to yield desirable electrical performance and RF response. These results can be achieved because of the ability to control impedances based on the fact that the width and shape of the conductors and the gaps between conductors can be carefully controlled. In addition, the electrical properties of the plastic material used in the molded casing can be considered when designing for desirable electrical response. The exemplary embodiments of the lead frame connectors of the present invention are also easier to manufacture than lead frame connectors presently available. Furthermore, the components of the lead frame connectors of the present invention are less expensive than components of a corresponding flex circuit.

In one embodiment, the lead frame connector is employed in electrically connecting optical subassemblies to a printed circuit board within an optical transceiver module that is configured for optical transmission at elevated rates, such as 4 Gbits/second. The advantageous space saving, electrical performance, and reliability aspects of the present lead frame connector enable optimization during the operation of optical transceiver modules so configured.

The foregoing, together with other features and advantages of the present invention, will become more apparent when referred to the following specification, claims and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the manner in which the above-recited and other advantages and features of the invention are obtained, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view of a ROSA and a corresponding lead frame connector that is constructed according to one exemplary embodiment the present invention;

FIG. 1B illustrates perspective view of a TOSA and a corresponding lead frame connector that is constructed according to an alternate embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2A illustrates a top view of the ROSA lead frame connector of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2B illustrates a perspective view of the conductive leads in the lead frame of FIG. 1A;

FIGS. 2C–2F illustrate various views of the ROSA lead frame connector of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 3A illustrates a top view of the TOSA lead frame connector of FIG. 1B;

FIG. 3B illustrates a perspective view of the conductive leads in the lead frame of FIG. 1B;

FIGS. 3C–3F illustrates various views of the TOSA lead frame connector of FIG. 1B;

FIG. 4A illustrates a perspective view of a ROSA and a corresponding lead frame connector that can be constructed according to an alternate exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4B illustrates a perspective view of the ROSA and lead frame connector of FIG. 4A in an assembled configuration;

FIG. 4C illustrates a perspective view of the conductive leads in the lead frame of FIGS. 4A and 4B in an unbent configuration prior to molding;

FIG. 4D illustrates a side view of the assembled lead frame connector of FIG. 4B;

FIG. 5A illustrates a perspective view of a TOSA and a corresponding lead frame connector that can be constructed according to an alternate exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5B illustrates a perspective view of the ROSA and lead frame connector of FIG. 5A in an assembled configuration ready for mounting;

FIG. 5C illustrates a perspective view of the conductive leads in the lead frame of FIGS. 5A and 5B in an unbent configuration prior to molding;

FIG. 5D illustrates a side view of the assembled lead frame connector of FIG. 5B;

FIGS. 6A and 6B are perspective views of opposite sides of a printed circuit board that has the lead frame connectors of FIGS. 1 and 2 attached thereto;

FIGS. 7A and 7B are perspective views of opposite sides of a printed circuit board that has the lead frame connectors of FIGS. 3 and 4 attached thereto;

FIG. 8 is a simplified block diagram of an optical transceiver module and external host illustrating one environment in which the lead frame connector can be included;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an optical transceiver module showing various aspects of the electrical interconnection achieved by the lead frame connector between optical subassemblies and a printed circuit board of the module;

FIG. 10A illustrates a perspective view of a ROSA and a corresponding lead frame connector that can be constructed according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 10B illustrates a perspective view of the ROSA and lead frame connector of FIG. 10A in an assembled configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

The present invention relates to lead frame connectors that are used to electrically and mechanically connect optical subassemblies to printed circuit boards in optical transceiver modules. According to one embodiment, the lead frame connector is fabricated using an insert injection molding process applied to a reel-to-reel stamped lead frame ribbon. The lead frame connectors connect to the leads associated with the optical subassemblies. The lead frame connectors also can be surface mounted onto the printed circuit board to establish connectivity between the optical subassembly and the printed circuit board.

The lead frame connectors of the invention provide several advantages compared to the use of flex circuits or other conventional techniques. Compared to flex circuits, the lead frame connector components are significantly less expensive. In addition, the process of manufacturing a transceiver module using lead frame connectors is more automated and requires less labor. Compared to simply bending the leads of the optical subassemblies to permit direct connection to a PCB, the lead frame connectors have significantly better electrical performance and RF response. Moreover, there is no significant risk of damaging the fragile portions of the optical subassemblies during the process of connecting the optical subassemblies to the PCB.

1. Lead Frame Connector Structure

FIG. 1A illustrates a ROSA 10 and a corresponding lead frame connector 12 that can be constructed according to an embodiment the invention. ROSAs typically have five leads 14, and the lead frame connector 12 of FIG. 1A has five corresponding electrical contacts 16. These contacts are electrically coupled to five corresponding conductors or leads 18. FIG. 1B illustrates a TOSA 20 and a corresponding lead frame connector 22 that can be constructed according to an embodiment of the invention. TOSAs typically have four leads 24, and the lead frame connector 22 of FIG. 1B has four corresponding electrical contacts 26. As with the lead frame connector 12 of FIG. 1A, the contacts 26 electrically couple to five corresponding conductors or leads 28. Although the lead frame connectors of FIGS. 1A and 1B are shown with four and five electrical contacts and leads, respectively, the principles of the invention disclosed herein can be applied to form lead frame connectors that have substantially any number of electrical contacts and/or leads.

FIGS. 2A and 2C–2F show various views of the ROSA lead frame connector 12 of FIG. 1A. FIG. 2B illustrates a lead frame 30 without a casing 32 that can be disposed around the lead frame 30. The casing 32 provides electrical insulation for portions of the conductor or lead 18 of the lead frame 30, as well as mechanical support for the finished component. FIG. 2B illustrates the lead frame 30 in a condition prior to the five leads being electrically separated one from another, which is illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, in a process that is described in greater detail below. FIGS. 3A–3F illustrate corresponding views of the TOSA lead frame connector 22 of FIG. 1B.

In FIGS. 2A–2F and 3A–3F, the electrically insulating casing 32 has a surface 36 that defines a plane. In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of electrical contacts 16 is arrayed in a configuration that is substantially parallel to the plane defined by the casing 32. As also illustrated, the conductors or leads 18 extend from the contacts 16 and can be bent in three dimensions, such that, in the illustrated embodiment, at least a portion of the plurality of leads 18 extend out of the casing 32 in a direction that is not parallel to the plane defined by the casing 32. Of course, depending on the position of the optical sub-assemblies and the printed circuit board in any particular optical transceiver module, the conductors or leads 18 can be bent in any necessary orientation.

The lead frame connectors 12 and 22 of FIGS. 1A and 1B yield desirable electrical performance and RF response. These results can be achieved because of the ability to control impedances based on the fact that the width and shape of the conductors or leads 18 and the gaps between the conductors or leads 18 can be carefully controlled. The shape, position, and dimensions of the conductors or leads 18 in the lead frame connectors 12 and 22 can be selected based on the electrical and RF conditions that are to be experienced in any particular application. Prior to beginning the manufacturing process for lead frame connectors 12 and 22, computer simulations of various designs can be performed to identify those designs that generate acceptable RF responses. The material used to mold lead frame connectors 12 and 22 can be selected to have an appropriate dielectric constant as determined by this simulation process or, in the alternative, the dielectric constant can be used as an input to the simulation process. For instance, the material forming casing 12 and 22 can be polymers including, but not limited to, thermoplastics and thermoset materials, synthetic materials, or other materials capable of functioning as a dielectric or insulator. The electrical performance of the lead frame connectors 12 and 22 is particularly important for relatively high frequency transceiver modules, such as those that operate at 1, 2, 4, or as much as 10 Gigabits per second (Gbit/s) or higher. Exemplary embodiments of the lead frame connectors of the present invention can be used with any of these modules while exhibiting acceptable RF responses.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate a ROSA 100 and a corresponding lead frame connector 102 that can be constructed according to an alternate exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4A shows the ROSA 100 and the lead frame connector 102 prior to assembly. FIG. 4B shows the two pieces assembled in one exemplary operational configuration. One advantage of this exemplary embodiment is that the lead frame connector 102 can be manipulated into its operational configuration as part of the assembly process after the process used to dispose the conductors or leads within the casing, rather than during or as part of the process to dispose the conductors or leads within the casing.

As with the ROSA 10 of FIG. 1A, the ROSA 100 has five leads 104, extending from one end 106. Lead frame connector 102 has five corresponding electrical contacts 108 at respective first ends 109 of conductors or leads 110. The electrical contacts 108 can be aligned with the leads 104 of the ROSA 100. Lead frame connector 102 can include a first casing 112 and a second casing 114 that each can support a portion of conductors 110. As illustrated, the first ends 109 of the five conductors 110 are contained within the first casing 112. A second end 120 of the conductors 110 extends through the second casing 114. In alternate embodiments, the electrical contacts 108 can be held in a fixed position by first casing 112 without being entirely contained therein.

In one exemplary use of the lead frame 102, the ends 120 of the five conductors 110 extending from second casing 114 act or function as contact points that are sized and configured to be connected to, for example, a PCB. One advantage of this version of the lead frame connector 102 is that the casing 112 and the casing 114 can be coplanar during the manufacturing process. The two casings 1 12, 114 and the conductors 110 can be generally aligned in parallel planes, optionally co-planar, during the manufacturing process, and the second casing 114 orientated relative to the first casing 112 during the assembly process. The five conductors 110 can then be manipulated or bent to the desired configuration at a location between the first casing 112 and the second casing 114 and/or at a location adjacent to the second casing 114, as part of the assembly process. This will be discussed in more detail below.

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate a TOSA 130 and a corresponding lead frame connector 132 that can be constructed according to an alternate embodiment the present invention. FIG. 5A shows TOSA 130 and the lead frame connector 132 prior to assembly. FIG. 5B shows the two pieces assembled in one exemplary operational configuration. One advantage of this exemplary embodiment is that the lead frame connector 132 can be formed into its operational configuration as part of the assembly process after the process used to dispose the conductors or leads within the casing, in a similar process to that discussed with respect to the ROSA 100.

As with TOSA 20 of FIG. 1B, TOSA 130 has four leads 134, extending from one end 136. Lead frame connector 132 has four corresponding electrical contacts 138 at a first end 139 of conductors 140. The electrical contacts 138 can be aligned with the leads 134 of the TOSA 130. Lead frame connector 132 can include a first casing 142 and a second casing 144 that each can support a portion of conductors 140. As illustrated, the first ends 139 of the four conductors 140 are contained within the first casing 142. In alternate embodiments, the electrical contacts 138 can be held in a fixed position by first casing 142 without being entirely contained therein. A second end 150 of the conductors 140 extends through the second casing 144.

In one exemplary use of the lead frame 132, the ends 150 of the four conductors 140 are sized and configured to be connected to, for example, a PCB. As with the lead frame connector 102, the two casings 142, 144 and the conductors 140 are generally aligned in parallel planes during the manufacturing process. In some embodiments, they can be coplanar. The four conductors 140 and the casing 144 can then be manipulated until second end 150 is in a desired location. As shown, the conductors 140 are bent at a location between the first casing 142 and the second casing 144 as part of the assembly process. This will be discussed in more detail below.

The lead frame connectors 102 and 132 of FIGS. 4A and 5A yield desirable electrical performance and RF response. These results can be achieved because of the ability to control impedances. The width and shape of the conductors 110 of the lead frame connector 102 and conductors 140 of the lead frame connector 132, and the gaps between conductors 110, 140, can be carefully controlled. The impedances can be controlled by adjusting the shape, position, and dimensions of the conductors 110, 140 in the lead frame connectors 102, 132, based on the electrical and RF conditions that are to be experienced in any particular application. Prior to beginning the manufacturing process for the lead frame connectors 102 and 132, computer simulations of various designs can be performed to identify those that generate acceptable RF responses.

In exemplary embodiments, the first and second casings 112, 114 of the lead frame connector 102, and the first and second casings 142, 144 of the lead frame connector 132 can be fabricated using an injection molding process, a transfer molding process, or other molding processes known to those of skill in the art. The casings 112, 114, 142 and 144 can generally be made from a polymer, synthetic material, or other material capable of functioning as a dielectric or insulator. Various types of plastics, such as, but not limited to, Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) and Polyetherimide (PEI), can be used in this application. One example of an LCP is Vectra® manufactured by Ticona Engineering Polymers. One example of a PEI is Ultem® PEI resin from General Electric (GE) Plastics. In general, any polymer that has sufficient mechanical strength to withstand the bending process can be used. In some embodiments, it can be desirable to use a material having a minimum of an Underwriter's Laboratories (UL) 94V0 flammability rating. In yet other embodiments, it can be desirable to utilize materials that meet the Reduction of Hazardous Substances (ROHS) Directive 2002/95/EC of the European Union, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Among other things, the ROHS Directive eliminates the use of halogenic fire retardants and the use of several heavy metals, such as lead and cadmium, in order to preserve the environment. The LCP material discussed above exhibits both of these desirable properties.

The plastic material used to mold the lead frame connectors 102 and 132 can be selected to have an appropriate dielectric constant as determined by the simulation process discussed below. Alternately, the dielectric constant can be used as an input to the simulation process. The electrical performance of the lead frame connectors 102 and 132 is particularly important for relatively high frequency transceiver modules, such as those that operate at 1, 2, 4, or as much as 10 Gbit/s or higher. The lead frame connectors of the invention can be used with any of these modules while exhibiting acceptable RF responses. Some specific aspects of the design of the lead frame connector useful in achieving a desired electrical performance, and to meet other performance criteria, are discussed below.

In designing a lead frame connector that connects an optical subassembly to a printed circuit board, various factors can be taken into account. These factors can be classified as affecting either the physical design or the electrical design. Physical design factors can include the layout of the lead frame connector, the manner in which the connector attaches to both the OSA and the printed circuit board, and how well the end product stands up to normal handling, etc. Electrical design factors can include selecting material for the leads, determining the exact dimensions of the leads based on a desired frequency range in which the finished assembly will operate, determining the size and spacing of the circuits on the PCB, etc.

One method for creating a design that balances all of the factors discussed above is to use different software to model the physical and electrical factors. For example, in one embodiment, SolidWorks 3D Product Design software from SolidWorks Corporation can be used to model the physical parts used in the lead frame connector, the OSA, and the PCB. While simple electrical circuits can be modeled using known techniques, calculating the performance of more complex 3D shapes requires the use of a three-dimensional electromagnetic field solver. In one embodiment, High Frequency Simulation Software, such as HFSS™ from Ansoft Corporation, can be used to model the more complex electrical properties of the lead frame connector, the OSA and the PCB. It is understood that a single piece of software could also be used that allows for both changes in the physical structure and changes in the electrical structure to be simulated without the need for different software packages.

In one embodiment of the method, the physical connector characteristics are modeled using SolidWorks, and this model is exported into the HFSS program. The specific design elements that affect the electrical characteristics are then modeled using HFSS. Any changes indicated by specific test results can be implemented using the appropriate software. For example, if physical changes need to be made to the lead frame design to more easily allow for the connections that need to be made, these changes can be made in SolidWorks and imported back into HFSS. Likewise, changes to the specific components that affect the electrical performance can be made directly in HFSS, then new simulations run to determine the effect of the changes.

In the embodiments disclosed herein, the above process can be used, by way of example and not limitation, to determine the width, spacing and cross-sectional thickness of the connector leads and PCB pads with which the leads connect, and the spacing and/or location of some of the components and/or other structures on the PCB. In some embodiments, the lead frame 132 for the TOSA 130 can be designed to utilize a 25-ohm single end impedance, or a 50-ohm differential impedance. Alternately, the lead frame 102 of the ROSA 100 can be designed to utilize a 50-ohm single end impedance, or a 100-ohm differential impedance. The differential impedance provides for two signals that have inverted polarity. Since the signals are transmitted along proximate paths, the polarity inversion helps to mitigate or even eliminate the potential cross talk and interference between the signals. In sum, embodiments of the present invention can be configured so as to maximize impedance matching along the transmission path of the lead frame connector and adjacent transmission structures. Further details regarding impedance matching characteristics of lead frame connectors can be obtained from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/066,079, entitled “Dual Segment Molded Lead Frame Connector For Optical Transceiver Modules,” filed Feb. 25, 2005, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In still other embodiments, and using the processes described above, it can be determined that the leads in both lead frame connectors 102, 132 can have a metal thickness of approximately 0.2 mm, a width of approximately 0.5 mm, and a separation distance of approximately 0.3 mm. Depending on the materials used for the leads and the casing, and further depending on the specific frequency that the lead frame/optical sub-assembly combination is designed for, different dimensions are also possible and fall within the scope of the embodiments discussed herein. The dimensions cited above are provided strictly as an example of one possible set of dimensions for the leads.

In keeping with the ROHS standard mentioned above, some particular materials can be selected and tested to ensure acceptable electrical and RF performance for the lead frame connectors, and for the modules as a whole. In one embodiment, the leads can be made from a copper-iron alloy (C194-Spring Hard) which is commonly used in semiconductor package lead frames. This material can be selected for, among other things, its excellent mechanical properties and platability. For example, the material can be sufficiently flexible to allow for the thermal expansion and contraction that occurs within a module without affecting the electrical properties of the lead frame. Additionally, this flexibility allows for the mechanical connection of the lead frames to the optical subassemblies and PCB without inducing unwanted stress in the components. By making the pads on the PCB somewhat larger than the actual leads to be connected, the physical placement of the leads on the PCB can be adjusted to allow for mechanical alignment of the OSA, the lead frame and the PCB without sacrificing electrical performance. Those skilled in the art will realize that a wide variety of other metals and/or metal alloys can also be used in the lead frames of the present invention.

In one embodiment, the stamped lead frames can be plated with successive layers of nickel, palladium, and gold prior to undergoing the plastic molding process. This plating system has excellent solderability and can be selected because it is lead free (a ROHS requirement) and does not exhibit the tin whisker problems associated with pure tin plating systems. Other plating materials can also be used.

2. Lead Frame Connector Fabrication Process

One of the advantages of the exemplary embodiments of the lead frame connectors of the present invention is that they can be manufactured at a much lower cost than conventional flex circuits that have been used in optical transceiver modules. In addition to the lead frame connectors themselves, the embodiments of the invention also extend to methods of manufacturing the lead frame connectors.

According to one embodiment, one exemplary method of manufacturing the lead frame connectors 12 and 22 is performed using a reel-to-reel insert injection molding process. Reel-to-reel insert injection molding processes are known generally in the art, but have not previously been applied to the manufacture of connectors that can be used to connect optical sub-assemblies to printed circuit boards of optical transceiver modules.

This exemplary process of manufacturing lead frame connectors 12 and 22 can include a step of stamping the appropriate conductor structure and configuration in a ribbon of conductive material. For example, the general conductor configuration 18 shown in FIGS. 2B and 3B can be formed by stamping a copper ribbon. The conductor configuration can be easily selected to conform to the conductor design that has been determined to have acceptable electrical performance as described above.

The stamped ribbon can be spooled from one reel to another while being passed through the insert injection molding process. During this exemplary process, the conductors of the stamped ribbon are bent or manipulated as needed in three dimensions as shown, for example, in FIGS. 2B and 3B, to achieve the necessary three-dimensional conductor configuration. The insert injection molding process can then form the casing about the lead frame, which provides mechanical support and electrical isolation for the conductors. While reel to reel processing is the lowest cost process, it requires more complex tooling and is typically only used for very high volume applications. Smaller volumes can be made in individual strips containing one or more lead frames that are then loaded into the molding machine. Similarly, stamping is another high volume process, but the lead frame conductors can also be etched using a photochemical technique in lower volumes. The choice of a particular manufacturing process can be driven by the optimum tradeoff between tooling cost, part cost, and volume without significantly changing the design of the part.

After the casing 32 is formed, the lead frame assembly can be passed through a singulation die that dices the ribbon having the molded casings into individual lead frame assemblies. During the preceding insert injection molding process, the individual conductors in the lead frame can be held together using a portion of the lead frame. In general, lead frame manufacturing processes use a portion of the lead frame structure to mechanically stabilize the individual conductors during the stamping and molding process. Conventional lead frame manufacturing processes typically use external stabilization, meaning that the individual conductors are typically stabilized and connected to an external support structure that is sheared off during the singulation stage. One problem associated with stabilization and singulation in this manner is that conductive stubs often remain in electrical contact with the leads after this step. Sizeable stubs can act as antennas and degrade the RF response of the lead frame structure.

According to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, relatively large stubs are avoided by using an internal stabilizer illustrated in FIGS. 2B, 2D, 3B and 3D, by reference numeral 40. The stabilizer 40 can be generally similar for both TOSA and ROSA connectors 12 and 22, and the details are discussed herein in reference to the ROSA connector 12 of FIGS. 2B and 2D. In particular, the five individual conductors of FIG. 2B are connected centrally one to another with a “starburst” conductive stabilizer or structure 40 in a way that provides mechanical stabilization during the molding process. This stabilizer 40 is in contrast to external stabilization structures that have typically been used in lead frame molding processes. After the molding process is complete, the conductive stabilizer 40 can be removed such as by punching, etc. through a central, or isolating, hole 42 shown in FIG. 2D. This punching operation removes most of the conductive material that had stabilized the conductors and serves to electrically separate the conductors one from another. This operation also leaves only negligible stubs that do not significantly degrade the RF response, even at high frequencies, such as 1, 2, 4, or 10 Gbits/second or higher.

An alternate exemplary embodiment of a method to manufacture lead frame connectors 102 and 132 can be discussed with respect to FIGS. 4C, 4D, 5C, and 5D. As with the prior method, the steps for making lead frame connector 102 for ROSA 100 are essentially the same as the steps for making lead frame connector 132 for TOSA 130. The following discussion will be directed to the formation of lead frame connector 102. However, it is understood that similar steps can be taken with respect to lead frame connector 132.

The method for forming lead frame connector 102 can include a step of stamping the appropriate conductor structure and configuration in a ribbon of conductive material. For example, the general conductor configuration for conductors 110 shown in FIG. 4C can be formed by stamping a copper ribbon. The conductor configuration can be easily selected to conform to the conductor design that has been determined to have acceptable electrical performance as described above. The conductors are then separated into individual conductors 110.

In this exemplary method, individual conductors 110 can be held by an external stabilization device (not shown) at the second end 120. In some exemplary embodiments, additional alignment pins can be used to stabilize conductors 110 prior to the injection molding process. Since the molding process produces two individual casings 112, 114, in one exemplary embodiment the additional alignment pins can be placed in between the casings at a point 118 of FIG. 4A. Point 118 then becomes the bending point in a successive step.

Once the conductors 110 are stabilized, both casings 112, 114 can be injection molded using a plastic having the appropriate dielectric constant. The ends 120 of conductors 110 can then be bent to any desired angle to create the contact points that can engage pads 152 on PCB 150 (FIG. 7A). As shown in FIG. 4, in one exemplary embodiment, the second ends 120 are given two 90° bends in opposite directions to form the contact points at the second end 120. Depending on the specific application, other angles are also possible. In alternate embodiments, the second ends, 120 of conductors 110 can be bent prior to the molding process.

This exemplary embodiment of the method of the present invention discussed above with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 also has many of the advantages over prior systems described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. However, this exemplary embodiment has some additional advantages as well. Since the first and second casings can be coplanar during manufacture, it is much easier to manufacture the tooling needed to produce the injection molded part. Additionally, the punch out step can be eliminated, thus saving additional manufacturing costs. Finally, the lead frame connectors 102, 132 can be held at their ends, thus making it easier to grip the connectors during the manufacturing process. No external tabs, projections, or stubs are required, nor do such tabs, projections or stubs need to be removed as part of the assembly process. Additionally, the flattened configuration provides unobstructed access to the solder joints when attaching the lead frame to the OSA.

3. Transceiver Manufacturing Process Using Lead Frame Connectors

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate opposite sides of a printed circuit board 50 that has the lead frame connectors 12 and 22 attached thereto. Exemplary embodiments of the invention disclosed herein also extend to methods of manufacturing or assembling optical transceiver modules using the lead frame connectors 12 and 22. According to one embodiment, the method of manufacturing a transceiver module includes a step of connecting the lead frames 12 and 22 to the corresponding optical sub-assemblies 10 and 20. As the process can be substantially the same for the ROSA and the TOSA, the processing of only ROSA 10 is described in detail below.

The ROSA lead frame connector 12 can be aligned with the leads 14 that protrude from the back end of the ROSA. The leads 14 can pass through corresponding holes 44 in the ROSA lead frame connector 12 and leads 14 can be soldered to the conductors of lead frame assembly 12. Passing leads 14 through holes 44 in the corresponding electrical contacts 16 can result in substantial self-alignment of lead frame connector 12 with optical sub-assembly 10. As shown in FIG. 1A, leads 14 of ROSA 10 can be conveniently accessed from the opposite side 46 of lead frame connector 12 to facilitate this soldering process. Once the soldering has been performed, the combined ROSA 10 and lead frame connector 12 becomes a surface mount device that can then be mounted to the PCB 50.

The process of surface mounting the combined ROSA 10 and lead frame connector 12 to PCB 50 can be performed in any of a variety of ways. As shown in FIG. 6B, lead frame connector 12 can have an array of leads 18 that are bent in a way that allows them to contact a corresponding array of pads 52 on PCB 50. As the leads 18 of the lead frame connector 12 are placed in contact with pads 52, the physical connection can be made by hand soldering, by reflow of a solder paste formed on the PCB 50, by a hot bar process, or by any other suitable technique. Another option can be to use a fixture that facilitates the process of placing the lead frame connector 12 in contact with PCB 50 and soldering it thereto.

It is noted that, according to certain embodiments of the invention, the process of connecting the combined ROSA 10 and lead frame connector 12 to PCB 50 does not require epoxy reinforcement and avoids alignment handling issues that have been experienced in conventional methods of connecting optical sub-assemblies to PCBs using, for instance, flex circuits.

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate opposite sides of a printed circuit board 150 that has lead frame connectors 102 and 132 attached thereto. According to this alternate exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the method of manufacturing a transceiver module can include a step of connecting lead frames 102 and 132 to the corresponding optical sub-assemblies 100 and 130. As this process can be substantially the same for the ROSA and the TOSA of this embodiment as described above with reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B, the discussion of the specific steps involved in attaching lead frame connectors 102, 132 to ROSA 100 and TOSA 130 will not be repeated here.

The process of surface mounting the combined ROSA 100 and the lead frame connector 102 to PCB 150 can be performed in any of a variety of ways. In one exemplary embodiment, the second casing 114 can be bent at a point 118 to any desired angle to allow the contact points of the second end 120 to be easily connected to PCB 150. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the second casing 114 is bent at approximately a 90° angle, though other bending (folding) angles are also possible, depending on the particular application. As shown in FIG. 7B, the lead frame connector 102 has a plurality of conductors 110 that are bent in a way that allows the contact points to contact a respective corresponding array of pads 152 on PCB 150. As the contact points of lead frame connector 102 are placed in contact with pads 152, the physical connection can be made by hand soldering, by reflow of a solder paste formed on PCB 150, by a hot bar process, or by any other suitable technique. Another option is to use a fixture that facilitates the process of placing the lead frame connector in contact with PCB 150 and soldering it thereto.

In an alternate embodiment, the lead frame connector 102, 132 can be connected to the OSA while in a straight, flat configuration. The lead frame connector 102, 132 can then be bent to the appropriate angle, and the contact points of the leads can then be connected to the pads 152 on the PCB 150. In some embodiments, the pads 152 can be slightly enlarged on the PCB 150 to allow for some degree of shifting in the alignment of the lead frame to the PCB. This mechanical alignment allows the OSA/lead frame/PCB package to be fixed in the housing (not shown) such that a ferrule that contains an optical fiber that will connect to the transceiver module can be correctly aligned.

It is noted that, according to certain embodiments of the invention, the process of connecting the combined ROSA 100 and lead frame connector 102 to PCB 150 does not require epoxy reinforcement and avoids alignment handling issues that have been experienced in conventional methods of connecting optical sub-assemblies to PCBs using, for instance, flex circuits.

Note that the lead frame connector of embodiments of the present invention provides an advantage over flexible circuits when bonding to the PCB, as the solder fillet formed between the contact points of the lead frame connector leads and the pads of the PCB can be visually inspected to ensure that a proper electrical connection between the two has been achieved. Such visual inspection is often not possible with flexible circuit connections. Additionally, the annular electrical contacts of the lead frame connectors provide a substantial amount of possible bonding surface area, thereby facilitating an adequate solder connection to be established with the leads of the particular optical subassembly.

4. Optical Transceiver Module Using a Lead Frame Connector

Reference is now made to FIG. 8, which is a simplified block diagram of an exemplary optical transceiver 1100 in which the principles of the present invention may be employed. While the optical transceiver 1100 will be described in some detail, the optical transceiver 1100 is described by way of illustration only, and not by way of restricting the scope of the invention. As discussed above, the optical transceiver 1100 may be suitable for 1G,2G,4G,8G,10G and higher bandwidth fiber optic links. Furthermore, the principles of the present invention may be implemented in optical transceivers of any form factor such as XFP, SFP and SFF, without restriction.

In detail, the optical transceiver 1100 receives an optical signal from fiber 11 10A using a receiver, such as ROSA 100, which corresponds to the ROSA shown in FIG. 4A. The ROSA 100 acts as an opto-electric transducer by transforming the optical signal into an electrical signal. The ROSA 100 provides the resulting electrical signal to a post-amplifier. In the illustrated embodiment, the post amplifier is consolidated with a laser driver as an integrated post amplifier/laser driver (“PA/LD”) 1102. As such, the PA/LD 1102 resides on a single integrated circuit chip and is included as a component, together with other components to be described below, on the printed circuit board (“PCB”) 150. Further details regarding the integrated PA/LD 1102 can be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/970,529, entitled “Integrated Post Amplifier, Laser Driver, and Controller,” filed Oct. 21, 2004 (the “'529 Application”), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In other embodiments, the post amplifier and laser driver can be included as separate components on the PCB 150. The PA/LD 102 and the other components included on the PCB 150 can be collectively referred to as components 1103.

The post-amplifier portion of the PA/LD 1102 amplifies the electrical signal and provides the amplified signal to an external host 1111 as represented by arrow 1102A. The external host 1111 may be any computing system capable of communicating with the optical transceiver 1100. The external host 1111 may contain a host memory 1112 that may be a volatile or non-volatile memory source. In one embodiment, some components of the optical transceiver 1100 can reside on the host 1111 while the other components of the transceiver reside on the printed circuit board 150 separate from the host.

The optical transceiver 1100 may also receive electrical signals from the host 1111 for transmission onto the fiber 1110B. Specifically, the laser driver portion of the PA/LD 102 receives the electrical signal as represented by the arrow 1102B, and drives a light source within the TOSA 130, e.g. a laser or Light Emitting Diode (“LED”), with signals that cause the TOSA to emit onto the fiber 1110B optical signals representative of the information in the electrical signal provided by the host 1111. Accordingly, the TOSA 130, which corresponds to the TOSA shown in FIG. 1B, serves as an electro-optic transducer.

The behavior of the ROSA 100, the PA/LD 1102, and the TOSA 130 may vary dynamically due to a number of factors. For example, temperature changes, power fluctuations, and feedback conditions may each affect the performance of these components. Accordingly, the transceiver 1100 includes a control module 1105, which may evaluate environmental conditions, such as temperature, and/or operating conditions, such as voltage, and receive information from the post-amplifier portion of the PA/LD 1102 (as represented by arrow 1105A) and from the laser driver portion of the PA/LD (as represented by arrow 1105B). This allows the control module 1105 to optimize the dynamically varying performance, and additionally detect when there is a loss of signal. The control module 1105 and the PA/LD 1102 may be the same chip as disclosed in the '529 Application. Alternatively, they may be distributed across two or more chips on the PCB 150, and be in digital communication with one another.

Specifically, the control module 1105 may optimize the operation of the transceiver 1100 by adjusting settings on the PA/LD 1102 as represented by the arrows 1105A and 1105B. These settings adjustments can be intermittent and are generally only made when temperature or voltage or other low frequency changes so warrant.

The control module 1105 may have access to a persistent memory 1106, which in one embodiment, is an Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM). Persistent memory 1106 may also be any other non-volatile memory source.

The persistent memory 1106 and the control module 1105 may be packaged together in the same package or in different packages without restriction. Data and clock signals may be provided from the host 1111 to the control module 1105 using the serial clock line SCL, and the serial data line SDA. Also data may be provided from the control module 1105 to the host 1111 using serial data signal SDA to allow for transmitting diagnostic data such as environmental and/or operational parameters.

Having described a specific environment with respect to FIG. 8, it will be understood that this specific environment is only one of countless architectures in which the principles of the present invention may be employed. As previously stated, the principles of the present invention are not intended to be limited to any particular environment.

With continuing reference to FIG. 8, reference is now made to FIG. 9, which depicts a perspective view of the optical transceiver module 1100 that is shown in simplified block form in FIG. 8. The transceiver shown in FIG. 9 includes a view of various of the components discussed in connection with FIG. 8, including the ROSA 100, the TOSA 130, the PCB 150 and the electronic components 1103 including the PA/LD. An edge connector 1168 is included on an end of the PCB 150 for electrically mating the transceiver 1100 with the external host 1111 (FIG. 8). Each of these aforementioned components is housed at least partially by a housing 1170 of the transceiver 1100. Though not shown, a shell can cooperate with the housing 1170 to define a covering for the components of the transceiver

As shown in FIG. 9, the transceiver 1100 further includes lead frame connectors to establish electrical connectivity between the ROSA 100/TOSA 130 and the PCB 150, as disclosed above in connection with one embodiment of the present invention. In detail, the transceiver 1100 includes lead frame connector 102 associated with the ROSA 100 and lead frame connector 132 associated with the TOSA 130.

The manner of connection of the lead frame connectors 102 and 132 between the ROSA100/TOSA 130 and the PCB 150 is substantially the same as that described in Section 3 above in connection with FIGS. 7A and 7B, and indirectly with FIGS. 6A and 6B. Note that in one embodiment the lead frame connector and respective optical subassembly are first joined, followed by the joining of the lead frame connector to the PCB, which has already been positioned in the housing. This enables relative positioning of the OSA with respect to the transceiver housing to occur, which can affect the lead frame connector-to-PCB connection positioning. Such positioning accounts for the inherent tolerance variations between successive transceiver housings. In this way, electrical connectivity can be established between the ROSA 100/TOSA 130 and other components of the transceiver 1100 or host 1111, including the PA/LD 1102.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 10A and 10B, which depict details of yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In detail, FIGS. 10A and 10B depict a ROSA 2100 and a corresponding lead frame connector 2102. FIG. 10A shows the ROSA 2100 and the lead frame connector 2102 prior to assembly. FIG. 10B shows the two pieces assembled in one exemplary operational configuration. The same principles explained here with regard to the ROSA 2100 can also be applied to a TOSA.

As with previous embodiments, the ROSA 2100 has five leads 2104, extending from one end 2106. Lead frame connector 2102 has five corresponding electrical contacts 2108 at respective first ends 2109 of conductors 2110. The electrical contacts 2108 can be aligned with the leads 2104 of the ROSA 100.

The lead frame connector 2102 includes a casing 2113 that supports a portion of the conductors 2110 such that the first ends 2109 of the five leads are contained within the casing and a second end 2120 of each of the leads extends through the casing.

The casing 2113 includes a flexible portion 2115 at a point where eventual bending or folding of the casing is desired to facilitate electrical interconnection between the ROSA 2100 and another device such as a PCB. The conductors 2110 extend through the flexible portion and are bendable according to the folding of the flexible portion. Plastic, rubber, or other materials suitable for use within a transceiver environment can be employed to define the flexible portion 2115. In present embodiments, then, the casing can be configured as a single casing having a flexible portion defined therein, or as two casings joined by the flexible portion. FIG. 10B shows the lead frame connector 2100 attached to the ROSA 2100 in its folded position in preparation for soldering with the PCB. Note that the bent flexible portion 2115 defines a continuous radius.

In yet other embodiments, embodiments of the lead frame connector can include more than two casings such that multiple bends can be defined between sets of adjacent casings, further reducing the space required for the connector within the transceiver or other suitable device.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. 

1. A lead frame connector, comprising: an electrically insulating casing comprising: first and second portions; and a flexible portion interposed between, and attached to, the first and second portions; and a plurality of conductors that are electrically isolated one from another, each of the plurality of conductors extending from the first portion through the flexible portion and into the second portion, and comprising: an electrical contact portion configured to interface with a corresponding lead of an optical subassembly; and a lead in electrical communication with the electrical contact portion, the lead being configured to interface with a corresponding element of a printed circuit board.
 2. The lead frame connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the flexible portion comprises either plastic or rubber.
 3. The lead frame connector as recited in claim 1, wherein: the first portion comprises a first casing; and the second portion comprises a second casing.
 4. The lead frame connector as recited in claim 2, wherein the conductors are bent at segments thereof between the first casing and the second casing.
 5. The lead frame connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the casing is insert injection molded over a portion of the plurality of conductors.
 6. The lead frame connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the first portion is oriented at an angle with respect to the second portion.
 7. The lead frame connector as recited in claim 2, wherein a configuration of the first and second casings corresponds with a desired impedance effect associated with the plurality of conductors.
 8. The lead frame connector as recited in claim 3, wherein a configuration of each of the plurality of conductors is associated with a particular impedance control effect.
 9. The lead frame connector as recited in claim 1, wherein electrical isolation of the conductors relative to each other is effected by the electrically insulating casing.
 10. The lead frame connector as recited in claim 1, wherein one of the portions of the casing is substantially perpendicular with respect to the other portion of the casing.
 11. An optical subassembly attached to the lead frame connector of claim
 1. 